On Fri, Jul 08, 2011 at 07:18:54PM -0400, Lyle Hazelwood wrote:
> > An electric vehicle with a 50 mile range would serve over 90% of my dri=
ving
> > needs. But if any of the other 10% (long road trip, emergency travel
> > elsewhere than work/home, carrying more than 2 passengers) pop up, then=
 the
> > vehicle no longer is suitable. The uncertainty of those events coupled =
with
> > the prospect of running out of power, with no quick recharge ability.
>=20
> I always thought that all-electric vehicles could be augmented with tow-b=
ehind
> gasoline generators for those occasional (planned) longer trips.

Yes, that's doable. Unfortunately the average (or even the above average)
consumer isn't going to want to be bothered. Then the discussion turns to
integrating the gas engine into the car, and you're right back at the
hybrids of today, from the Prius, which cannot go more than a mile or two
on electric power alone, to the Volt, which does have better range but ends
up having the gas engine kick in much sooner because you have to lug around
the gas engine and gasoline all the time.

> Just a gas tank and a gasoline powered generator with an umbilical
> cord to the towing vehicle.
> These trailers could be rented for the duration of the trip only, and
> so the maintenance
> responsibilities fall to the equipment owner. If there is a problem
> with one, they could swap
> out the trailer faster than most repairs could be implemented.

Seems to defeat the purpose. As long as folks continue to think that
hybrids (of any gasoline type) is the solution, the infrastructure required
to support an all electric infrastructure will never be developed.

>=20
>=20
> While this is still carbon-burning, it allows the efficiency of an
> electric-only vehicle to be
> fully appreciated for the 90% of the time, and covers the highway
> needs using the existing
> gasoline distribution network we already have in place.

Too complex for the "get in and drive" crowd that is required to create the
necessary economies of scale.
>=20
> Any future legislation to improve carbon emissions in personal
> vehicles could be focused
> on the trailer renting companies, and leave the vehicle owners out of
> the loop. This would make
> enforcement and compliance a LOT easier to manage.
>=20
> It also avoids the need to swap batteries, and all the potential
> issues that entails.

The only way to flip the switch, IMHO, is to create an infrastructure that
makes electrics better than gas vehicles. It cannot be more comples, too
much more expensive, or have any significant limitations in order for it to
work. Or there needs to be mandates, or incentives, to get into the game.
Right now neither really exists on a signicant scale. From an energy
capacity standpoint, gas is very close to "magic". Unless a competing
electrical infrastructure that costs about the same and has seemingly
"magic" properties (like not having to stop to get more energy), it's going
to be virtually impossible to effect a switch.

BAJ

>=20
> Lyle
> --=20
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--=20
Byron A. Jeff
Department Chair: IT/CS/CNET
College of Information and Mathematical Sciences
Clayton State University
http://cims.clayton.edu/bjeff
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